On a freshly waxed gym floor stands junior, Carly Compton, surrounded by cheering fans, eyes steady at the net, and a loud whistle that shifts attention directly to the ball. With a stack of homework lying on her desk at home and the constant tug-of-war between responsibility and recovery, the struggle of being a student athlete is undeniable, yet faced by many.
“You’re not just a student or an athlete; you’re a representation of your school,” Compton said. “You have the responsibility to show them that you are more than what people think.”
Students struggle to juggle academics with extracurriculars, but student-athletes face an even greater challenge of managing demanding practice schedules alongside heavy coursework. While it may push them to excel in multiple areas of life, the competitive nature of both academics and athletics only adds to this fire; something sophomore, Ryan Sasiki-Adams, knows well.
“Being a student athlete means that I have to balance work and athletics, and do both as best as I can,” Sasaki-Adams said. “This is hard. Our school is very competitive with a lot of students.”
Even maintaining day-to-day routines and the basics of life are on the line. Senior wrestler, Lillie Parker, ranked among the top of her class in both leadership and academics, knows this grind all too well.
“There are times when I have a lot of homework and I have wrestling practice and we don’t finish until 6 p.m., and then I have to get home, and then I have to shower, I have to eat, and I have to do all those things,” Parker said. “It gets overwhelming.”
So, what is it that keeps these students committed to the long hours and high pressures? For many, the reward is worth it. The student-athlete experience is captivated by the sense of purpose and community.
“I think that the wrestling team and the people I am with have changed how I view our school, and how I view my own life,” Parker said. “We all have these different experiences, and I’m mingling with all these people, so I’m able to create such strong connections that I don’t think I would have found anywhere else.”
Students may hesitate to join a sport because of the demands of balancing homework and practice, but the decision is rarely that simple. For senior swimmer and runner, Brandon Zhang, there is motivation that lies within.
“I mean, you just have to be passionate about your sport,” Zhang said. ”You have to choose the sport you’re actually interested in, and then you’ll automatically make time for it.”
What ultimately drives these students is the sport itself. “I wouldn’t be waking up in the morning early to go to the morning practices, or I wouldn’t be rushing after school just to go to practice every day without actually being passionate about my sport,” said Zhang.
